A film by Valerie Buhagiar

The Anniversary

News

The Anniversary East London Film Festival screening has already earned it some glowing reviews, including this one from Hayley Charlesworth at I'm With Geek:

"Screening at the East End Film Festival, The Anniversary, a Canadian production written and directed by Valerie Buhagiar is a film with a definite indie sensibility. It is also a film with a strong emotional centre, built on with superb acting, and a fundamental understanding of human relationships. Traversing both joy and heartbreak in the space of a single night, The Anniversary is an investing, but claustrophobic piece."

Valerie Buhagiar and Maurizio Trezzi of Boom In Productions, producers of The Anniversary, are thrilled to announce that Global Genesis Group has acquired exclusive worldwide distribution rights, outside of Canada, to their award-winning feature film.

The Anniversary, director Valerie Buhagiar's debut feature, thrived at the Buffalo Niagara Film Festival. Deborah Hay won BEST ACTRESS – IN A LEADING ROLE – FEATURE, while Colin Mochrie was awarded BEST ACTOR – IN A SUPPORTING ROLE – FEATURE. We couldn't be more proud of these gifted actors, and the entire ensemble who bring the film to life.

The film itself received Honorable Mention in the Feature Film category, truly an honor at a festival where so many other strong films were screened. The Anniversary thanks The BNFF for a wonderful experience.

From the online film blog My Film Journal, another very favourable review of The Anniversary:
"The Anniversary is an absorbing chamber piece...and a well-crafted slice-of-life drama that has many off beat comic moments. The atmosphere is thick with a simmering crisis... The performances of the ensemble cast generally feel spontaneous and improvised making for some amusing moments and writer-director Buhagiar skillfully imbues the film with a gentle charm."

"When films can play with tone, swing from one point to another on the emotional spectrum without missing a beat, that’s when movies get really good. The Anniversary is one of the best example of tonal swing, and how it makes viewing that much more impressive... Hilarious at times, and other moments deeply touching... Overall, The Anniversary might be the most impressively wide-ranging film of Cinequest 2015!"

A review for The Anniversary as part of a round-up of Cinequest 2015, from Klaus at Gunpoint, a film journal.

During the 2014 Cinefest Sudbury festival, the Sudbury Star interviewed Valerie Buhagiar. Valerie discussed her long and appreciative history with the Sudbury festival, the position of female creators in the film industry, and the whirlwind production of The Anniversary.